Rhode Island Layoffs — February 2016
Employers in Rhode Island logged 2 WARN Act notices in February 2016, involving roughly 191 workers — falling below January. The average filing covered 96 workers, with 2 closures among the notices.
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 1 | 131 |
| Healthcare | 1 | 60 |
The Retail sector dominated layoff filings with 131 workers across 1 notice. Meanwhile, Healthcare reported 60 workers.
Geographic Hotspots
| County | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kent | 1 | 131 |
| Providence | 1 | 60 |
Kent was the epicenter of layoff activity, accounting for 69% of all affected workers with 131 workers across 1 notices.
| City | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Warwick | 1 | 131 |
| Providence | 1 | 60 |
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 2 | 191 |
The high proportion of closures (100% of affected workers) suggests structural shifts rather than temporary cutbacks in Rhode Island's labor market.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | City | Workers | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam's Club | Warwick | 131 | Closure | |
| Optum | Providence | 60 | Closure |
The biggest impact was at Sam's Club at its Warwick facility, reporting 131 affected workers. Optum followed with 60 workers.
Trend & Outlook
This data points to a mixed picture for Rhode Island's labor market, with activity diverging between monthly and annual comparisons. The Retail sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This analysis is based on official WARN Act filings reported by Rhode Island. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is updated daily by WARN Firehose. View all Rhode Island WARN notices, browse layoffs by state, or download the full dataset.